ATLANTA — Dillon Gee tried to ignore the trade rumors last winter, and maybe it’s best he did.

The right-hander not only still belongs to the Mets, but remains in the team’s rotation, ready to make his season debut on Saturday against the Braves.

“I knew a trade was a possibility,” Gee said before the Mets’ 5-3 loss to the Braves on Friday. “But I don’t make those decisions, so I really don’t fret about a lot of it.”

Gee seemed destined for the bullpen after the Mets failed to receive a trade offer they deemed as fair value, but Zack Wheeler’s season-ending Tommy John surgery last month changed that dynamic.

The final spot in the rotation went to Gee after a solid exhibition season in which he fought off competition from rookie Rafael Montero.

Gee is 6-4 with a 2.79 ERA in 14 career starts against the Braves. He has been even better at Turner Field, where he has posted a 2.23 ERA in six starts.

“He moves the ball around and changes speeds, and for a long time the Braves were a team with a lot of power,” manager Terry Collins said. “If you are a guy like Dillon Gee, if you make your pitches you can get a big swing sometimes and you can counteract that with all the soft stuff.”

Travis d’Arnaud survived a home plate collision with Andrelton Simmons, who was tagged out by the Mets catcher in the second inning. Such collisions have become rare after new rules were instituted last season to protect the catcher.

“I saw [Simmons] coming and I knew it was game time,” d’Arnaud said. “There was enough time where we both knew what was coming. It was an exciting play, actually.

“That is what makes catching fun, those big plays at the plate.”

John Mayberry Jr. batted third and played left field in his first starting assignment with the Mets. The veteran outfielder hit a solo homer in the third inning, following David Wright’s two-run blast.

Collins said he batted Mayberry third with the idea he might need Lucas Duda as a pinch-hitter in that spot later in the game. If the Braves countered with a lefty pitcher, Collins would at least have had righty-swinging Michael Cuddyer hitting next.

Also, Collins wanted to ensure he displaced as few hitters from their spots in the lineup as possible, so he just inserted Mayberry third in Duda’s place. It’s a tactic Collins said he learned from manager Jim Leyland, when they were together with the Pirates.

As part of their Opening Night ceremonies to celebrate the franchise’s 50th season in Atlanta, the Braves had several of their all-time greats, including Hank Aaron, Chipper Jones, Phil Niekro and Dale Murphy on the field for pregame festivities.